Recently, someone recommended a podcast called Serial to me. I don’t have a lot of experience with podcasts — I usually just turned to them as a simple way to lull myself to sleep — but I figured I would give this one a chance. Besides, I was getting tired of my same Spotify playlists and I needed something new to play on my walks to class.
This was the start of an obsession, and I’m not kidding. I listened to an entire season (about 11 hour long episodes) in two days.
What drew me to Serial was the investigative nature and the mystery. The first season tells the story of the 1999 murder of a high school girl and the conviction of her ex-boyfriend in Baltimore. Journalist Sarah Koenig dives deeper into the case upon hearing that some who knew the ex-boyfriend think he is not guilty.
Koenig backtracks and goes through every aspect of that day of the murder. She interviews everyone she can get a hold of, most notably the teenager charged with the crime.
Serial is captivating and makes its listeners feel just as devoted to these cases as those working on the podcast are. It’s hard not to want to keep listening to see if there really is something the world missed about these people.
One thing to keep in mind should you chose to start this adventure with Serial, is that it is a story told by a reporter, not a detective. It doesn’t exist to solve the murder unless it so happens to turn up a new piece of the puzzle.
As a journalism major myself, the work Koenig does genuinely interest me. What I like even more is that it’s drawing in a huge audience and bringing popularity to the world of journalism.
Journalists have the power to change the course of events. They are the only job protected by the U.S. Constitution and give a voice to those, like the individuals in Serial, who may not have otherwise had a voice.
Serial adds a much-needed feeling of excitement to ordinary life. Check out Season 1, Episode 1 here.
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